Two KTGY Designs Selected as 2019 NMHC Innovation Challenge Finalists

IRVINE, Calif. – KTGY Architecture + Planning announced today that the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has named its five finalists for its 2019 Innovation Challenge competition with KTGY receiving two finalist honors for “Park House | A Housing Solution for Repurposed Parking Structures” and “High Design, Accelerated Construction.” Every year, the Challenge seeks innovative solutions to vexing apartment industry challenges. This year’s challenge sought solutions for reducing the construction costs or time to bend the cost curve of housing production as a way to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis. NMHC’s Innovation Committee members reviewed more than 50 applications to select this year’s finalists with KTGY receiving recognition for two of the five top finalist honors.

More than 6,500 square miles of land in the United States is devoted to parking with over 105 million parking spaces in existence. Approximately 15% to 30% of the urban land area is dedicated to parking, yet around 40,000 parking structures and surface lots operate at only half capacity, according to the Urban Land Institute. Ridesharing services, autonomous vehicles, and alternative transportation are changing the American driving culture, leading to the underutilization of billions of parking spaces across the United States. These cultural shifts suggest strategic opportunities to develop innovative design solutions.

Theorized within an existing wrap building parking structure, the Park House concept by KTGY Architecture + Planning’s R+D Studio proposes a system for repurposing obsolete parking structures as housing using purpose-built modular components to maximize efficiency and minimize disruption to the structure. By incorporating the use of modular components, the units can be constructed, including fixtures and finishes, simultaneous to the on-site construction required for converting the parking structure to a residential building. This process can significantly reduce the construction cost and provide a mechanism for bringing housing units to the market in an efficient and timely manner.

The proposed construction sequencing begins by removing the internal parking structure ramp to provide access for unit installation and later provides a generous internal courtyard. Working within the parking structure’s 28-foot structural bay, three prefabricated modules side-by-side measure 26 feet wide. A prefabricated extension fits between the columns, adding 128 square feet of unit area. A steel channel is welded to the underside of each steel module, creating a one-foot plenum below to house plumbing and electrical systems. The plumbing for each unit can run beneath the modules within the plenum and connect to the main stack through pipes cored through strategic locations in the slab. Wood decking in the corridors provides an accessible path of travel to unit entries lifted above the utility plenum and is more suitable for residential use. Simple cable and steel railings allow light and air movement where there were once concrete low walls. The modular units push and pull creating interesting movement in the elevation. Punched slab openings along the wide corridors provide light and vertical green spaces, with planters and hanging vines filling the void.

The Park House concept transforms a parking structure that once provided 1,091 parking stalls into a 119-unit residential building with a density of nearly 80 dwelling units per acre.

KTGY Architecture + Planning has unveiled a pioneering development, Hope on Alvarado, the first in a series of innovative housing solutions designed by KTGY for the chronically homeless in Los Angeles using advanced modular construction. Two Hope On projects are among the developments recently awarded Measure HHH funding by Los Angeles Mayor, the Honorable Eric Garcetti.

Located in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood, Hope on Alvarado creatively utilizes purpose-built modular units, which are transformed into a modern and affordable transitional housing community for the Los Angeles homeless population. While site work and foundations are done on-site, the modules are manufactured off-site with customized interior finishes and fittings resulting in highly efficient, speed-to-market. Furthermore, the Hope On system, with its use of steel residential modules, has the potential to radically transform modular housing and can accommodate the construction of larger-scale buildings in shorter time frames.

The five-story, 84-unit, Hope on Alvarado development, which is currently under construction, recently held a viewing event where multiple building sections were lifted into place, demonstrating the efficiency of construction. The architecture of the building incorporates steel corrugation and vast expanses of windows, creating a high design and light-filled spaces. The building is constructed around a central courtyard, providing privacy, safety and a deepened sense of community. A partially sub-grade parking garage uniquely navigates the slope of the site allowing the garage to be hidden. Parking spaces are provided for social services staff while each resident has a bike- storage space. Hope on Alvarado offers studios and one-bedroom apartment homes on a 0.44-acre site at 166 Alvarado Street. Floor to ceiling glazing along the amenity space engages the community and brings movement to the street. The development is designed to LEED standards.

About NMHC Based in Washington, D.C., the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) is the leadership of the trillion-dollar apartment industry. We bring together the prominent apartment owners, managers and developers who help create thriving communities by providing apartment homes for 39 million Americans. NMHC provides a forum for insight, advocacy and action that enables both members and the communities they help build to thrive. See www.nmhc.org.

About KTGY Architecture + Planning Founded in 1991, KTGY Architecture + Planning is a leading full-service design firm focused on residential and mixed-use developments and neighborhood revitalization. KTGY seamlessly delivers innovation, artistry and attention to detail across multiple design studios, ensuring that clients and communities get the best the firm has to offer no matter the building type or location. KTGY’s architects and planners combine big picture opportunities, leading-edge sustainable practices and impeccable design standards to create memorable destinations of enduring value. KTGY serves clients worldwide from offices located in Chicago, Denver, Irvine, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pune (India) and Tysons. See www.ktgy.com.